Gas engine muffler and supercharger



Mm 14, 1933. G. P; SMITH 1,9o1,3s1

GAS ENGINE MUFFLER AND SUPERCHARGER Fil ed Feb. 6, 1950 INVENTOR fixer/5L0 P uivmy ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 14, 1933 GARFIELD 1'. SMITH, F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK GAS ENGINE MUFFLER AND SUPEROHABGEB Application filed February 6, 1980. Serial No. 427,915.

This invention relates to improvements in internal combustion engines, and has more particular relation to muflling and charging devices for such engines.

5 The invention consists in utilizing the power of the engine for assisting in the exhaust and further utilizing the heat of the exhaust and the power of the engine for accentuating or forcing the fresh charge into the engine. 1

One of the principal objects of the invention is to utllize the heat of the exhaust to heat the inwardly flowing air to the carburetor, and to further utilize the power of the engine for creating a vacuum for more completely exhausting the engine and at the same time putting the pressure on the in,

wardly flowing air for the carburetor.

A further object of the invention "is to provide improved means, operated by the engine, for forcing the charge of air to the carburetor and at the same time have this inwardly flowing air heated by the exhaust gases without mingling with them.

Afurther object of the invention is to provide an out-board internal combustion engine, in which a vacuum is applied to the exhaust and in which the charge for the carburetor receives an impulse from the engine, and is heated by the exhaust gases.

The invention also has other objects, all of which will be hereinafter more particularly set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 represents a central vertical section throu h the devices embodying my invention, part y broken away, and applied to the transom of a boat to be driven thereby.

Figure 2 represents a detail-horizontal section of my improved exhaust devices and carburetor charger, taken on the broken levels indicated by the lines 22 in Figure 1. Described in general. terms, this invention utilizes'the power of an internal combustion 5 engine, whether it be of the out-board motor.

type or any other type; for operating a centrifugal vacuum-producing wheel connected to the exhaust pipe, and a centrifugal'pressure producing wheel connected to the intake for the carburetor; the two centrifugal wheels being arranged in juxtaposition with a thin dividing wall of metal whereby the heat of the exhaust in one chamberis communicated to and heats the air in the adjoining chamber, so that the air passing to' the carburetor will not only be under pressure but will be heated to the desired degree for providing the proper vaporization of the liquid fuel in the carburetor and intake manifolds.

Described in detail, 1 represents the transom of the boat upon WhlCh my improved 1 engine is mounted.

The en ine proper is of any improved type, but or the sake of illustration I have 5 shown an engine of the two-cycle type in diagrammatic arrangement, supported 1n the usual manner by an adjustable clamp 2. This engine is provided with the usual flywheel 3 and gas tank 4. The crank shaft 5 is extended above the flywheel 3 and supports a hub portion 6 which rests upon the top of the flywheel. A bearing ring 7 surrounds the lower art of the hub 6, and engages a bearing ange 8. A second hub 9 end of the crank is fast to the projectin a horizontal par shaft and is formed wit tition 10 and top and bottom disks 11 and 12. The hub 9 is'further provided with annular vertical walls 13 and 14 apertured as at 15 and 16 to form channels whereby the exhaust gases in the one case and the incoming fresh air in t e other case are permitted to enter the two hambers located between the top and bottom plates 11 and 12 and the partition plate 10.

The lower edge of the wall 14 is set rigidly in the hub 6 and is formed with ports 17 whereby the exhaust gases may pass therethrough. The ring 7 is supported by a I through the ports 15.

casting 1 8 secured to the top 'of the fuel tank. The exhaust pipe 19 which comn1unicates with the exhaustport of the engine opens into the chamber formed by the ring 7 so that the exhaust gases will pass upward of this ring bears against the flange 8. The

top plate 11 is formed with an annular enlargement 20 which bears against an annular flange 21 formed on the top plate 22 of the stationary casing 23. The top of the plate 22 near its center is'formed with air ports 24 through which air passes intoand Both the vacuum-producing chamber and the carburetor pressure chamber are provided with vertical partitions or blades 25 and 26 which are joined in each instance to the central annular hub portion in such manner, that when the blades are rotating because of their connection with the hub 9, plates 11 and 12. and partition 10. will rapidly force the air lying between them out:

.ward by centrifugal force. I

The air entering through the ports 24 and being forced outward by the upper blades. will'enter a carburetor feed pipe 27 after first being heated by contact with the partition plate 10. So that there will be no leakage between the periphery of the plate 10 and the case 22, I provide the interior of the vertical wall of the case with an annular flange 28 against which the periphery of the partition 10 finds a bearing. thus forming two distinct chambers, the lower chamberfor the exhaust gasesand the upper chamber for the fresh air being fed to the carburetor.

By reference to Figure 1 it will be seen that the lubrication of the contacting surfaces between the casing 22 and the rotor within it. are effected by an oil feeding cup 30.and pipes 31 and.32, which feed oil ducts formed respectively in the casing 22 and in the stationary ring 7.

The oil collecting on the top plate 11 will be thrown outward by centrifugal force,

and will drop ontothe flange 28and lubricate the hearing at this. point.

The two hubs 6 and 9 are suitably keyed or staked to the extended end-of the crank shaft 5, so that the rotor formed by the plates 11, 12, and'10,'willmove with the crank shaft at all times.

, The pipe 27 which leads to the air intake of the carburetor 33 is provided with a butterfly valve 34 which may be adjusted at will to increase or decrease the pressure and temperature of the air flowing inward through the pipe 27 by permitting the en trance of air through a screen port 35, or blocking such entrance.

It will be seen that the air rushing through the pipe 27 under pressure from the supercharger will. normally hold the valve 34 closed. As the present devices are intended for use, however. on high speed en'- gines and as the tendency of the gases in the intake manifold to lag is 'quite pronounced at high speed, the supercharger at times 'can not keep up with the demands of'the engine and a slight vacuum is created in the manifold. When such a vacuum takes place, it is usually of momentary duration as the two cycle type of gas engine inspirates very suddenly when the piston uncovers the inlet port. At such times the valve 34 opens slightly to relieve the vacuum and closes again just as soon as the pressure in the pipe 27 rises. This action prevents starving of the engine or too greatly enriching the mix ture at high speed.

The manifold into which the carburetor 33 discharges, is connected in the usual manner to the crank case of the two-cycle engine, while the pipe 19 is connected by a pipe 36,

shown in dotted lines in Figure 1, to the exhaust port of the engine.

The operation of the devices is as follows:

Each time the exhaust port of the engine is opened, the gases under pressure pass through the pipe 19 through the port 17 and ports 16 into the lower or vacuum-producing chamber of the rotor. The rapid movement of this rotor in themeantime, together with the centrifugal force exerted by the blades 26'has caused a partial vacuum to be formed in the lower chamber between the plates 10 and 11, and the exhaust gases are thus split 105 up and their pressure greatly reduced, so that the back-pressure on the engine is'greatly reduced and its power thus increased. The outwardlyflowing exhaust gases pass from the lower chamber through ports 37 formed in the rear portion of the vertical wall 23 or through the open bottom at the edge of the lower chamber. 7

These exhaust gases, in passing through the lower chamber, thoroughly heat the plate a 10 so that the fresh air which is passing through the upper chamber becomes heated. As the vanes or blades 25 of the upper chamber are being rapidly moved, the flow of air by centrifugal force is outward from the upper chamber through the carburetor intake manifold 27, the air entering through the apertures 24 at the top of the casing and the ports 15. I

It will be observed that while the lower exhaust chamber produces a partial vacuum to more efficiently scavenge the exhaust gases, the upper chamber produces a pres sure of heated air which in effect forms a supercharger for the carburetor.

For the above reason I do not care to limit the use of my devices to outboard engines or automobile engines, as the supercharging feature is particularly useful in airplane practice where the elevation of the plane so far-reduces-atmospheric pressure that somesupercharging or pressure of the fuelizing devices becomes necessary.

What I claim is: I

1. Combined supercharger and exhaust expeller for internal combustion engines comprising a rotor having a hub adapted to be fixed to the crank shaft of the internal combustion engine, and having parallel circular flanges extending from said hub perpendicular to the axis thereof, form-inner and outer walls and an intermediate partition, radial vanes between said partition and said-inner and outer walls defining series of chambers on opposite sides of said partition opening peripherally, a fixed casing overlying said rotor having a peripheral flange encompassing in spaced relation the open ends of said chambers, and having an inner cir cumferential rib substantially contacting the edge of said partition to segregate the chambers on one side thereof from the chambers on the other side, a fixed ring having an internal circumferential channel journally supported on said hub adjacent the inner wall, said hub being provided with passages, certain of which communicate with the chambers on one side of said partition and with the atmosphere through perforations in said outer wall, and others of which communicate with the chambers on the other side of said partition and with said channeled ring, a conduit adapting the part of said casing above said partition for connection to 'the carburetor of the engine, and a conduit adapting said ring for connection to the engine exhaust.

2. Combined supercharger and exhaust expeller as claimed in claim 1, the hub being in two parts, the upper part being unitary with the rotor and the lower part providing a seat for the said ring.

3. Combined supercharger and exhaust expeller for internal combustion. engines comprising a unitary rotor adapted to be se cured to the crank shaft of the engine and having inner and outer series of radially disposed chambers separated by a heat conductive partition, a fixed casing for connection with a carburetor and contacting one end of said rotor and encompassing the sides thereof in spaced relation to said chambers by contacting said partition to segregate said series of chambers, that part of the casing communicating with the lower series of chambers being open to atmosphere adjacent the periphery of said rotor, an air inlet, the upper series of chambers communicating centrally with the air inlet and the lower series of chambers being adapted to communi- 4;. Combined supercharger and exhaust expeller as claimed in claim 3, the casing having an interior annular flange bearing against a circular extension on said rotor, the upper series of chambers communicating with atmosphere by 'way of perforations formed in said casing within the circumference of engagement between said interior flange and said extension.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

- GARFIELD P. SMITH. 

